The present invention relates to liquid filters, and more particularly, the present invention is directed to liquid filters in combination with centrifugal separators.
Liquid filters are widely used in machinery such as internal combustion engines to filter various fluids. With internal combustion engines, fuel and lubricating oil are filtered, especially if the internal combustion engine is used to drive a vehicle. Other fluids are also filtered, such as, for example but not limited to, transmission fluid, coolant, hydraulic fluid, various chemical solutions and even drinking water.
In internal combustion engines used in vehicles, there is an overall need to conserve space in engine compartments, and drive train areas, as well as to reduce weight or at least to avoid increases in weight wherever possible. It is also desirable for many reasons to increase filter capacity, extend the life of filter media and where possible, to reduce the amount of area utilized by filter media. It is also highly desirable to provide even flow distribution of particles into the filter media which increases the filter media capacity, increases the life of the filter media and reduces the area consumed by the filter media. These various objectives frequently in conflict with one another and present challenges in the art of filter design.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide a new and improved liquid filter wherein the capacity and life of the filter media used therein are increased and the amount of area of filter media used is minimized while still providing for an even distribution of particles stopped by the filter media.
In accordance with the present invention, this feature is accomplished by a filter element for filtering a liquid wherein the filter element is adapted to be mounted in a cylindrical housing having a first and second ends wherein the liquid enters the housing through the first end adjacent the filter element and is provided with a rotary motion within the housing by an array of radially projecting fins disposed adjacent the first end of the housing. The array of radially projecting fins are positioned around an annular filter media adapted for mounting in the housing.
In a further aspect of the invention, the fins each have leading and trailing edges and are each canted with respect to the axis of the filter to provide slots therebetween which have inlet and outlet ends, whereby when the liquid enters the first end of the housing, it passes through the slots and the liquid spirals around the filter media prior to passing through the filter media. A still further embodiment of the invention, the housing is oriented vertically, the first end being at the top and the second end at the bottom, whereby as the liquid enters the top of the housing, a spiral motion is imparted to the liquid by the array of fins to participate out relatively heavy particles which thereafter accumulate at the second end of the housing.